


Mal Versus The Headless Horseman

by PonderRose



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Forehead Kisses, Halloween, Horror, Hugs, Love, Love/Hate, Passion, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Romance, Teasing, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:06:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27087568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonderRose/pseuds/PonderRose
Summary: Mal and Evie host their annual Halloween party while still living on the Isle of the Lost. After hearing the tale of the Headless Horseman, some of the boys dare each other to go find him in the haunted woods. It is up to Mal to save them before it is too late. Mal lives with Hades in this story. Harry has a temper and is very protective of Mal. Strong MalxHarry
Relationships: Harry Hook/Mal
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	1. I Hate You Too

With a hip-hip and a clippity-clop,

he's out looking for a head to swap.

So don't try to figure out a plan,

you can't reason with a headless man!

Mal's P.O.V.-

I've loved Halloween ever since I can remember; it's always been my favourite holiday. That's probably because it's the only holiday we really celebrate here on the Isle of the Lost. It just fits the atmosphere so well, and while we have no candy to collect trick-or-treating, the night was still a brilliant occasion to have a big old party; the biggest party of the year.

"This is going to be our best party yet!" Evie announced excited while gathering her invitations. I smiled over at her, finishing up the last of my invites. Since our parents had no mind for it, Evie and I joined to plan each year's official Halloween party. It was kind of old fashioned but we always took the time to write up a bunch of invitations for everyone, even though all the Villain Kids would come anyway. It was more of the principle of the matter; plus it was fun!

Evie and I put our envelops into my tote bag and headed out to disperse them. Of course Jay, Carlos, Dizzy, and Celia were first. We visited them on the way to our final destination: Ursula's Fish and Chips. By the time we got there, the sun was setting and nightfall was setting in. Uma was wiping down the front counter when Evie and I entered her mother's establishment.

Uma greeted us with a half-grin, half-smirk. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Mally Good-shoes and little Evie." "Hi, Uma," I grinned back at her, coming up to the other side of the counter and handing her an invitation. She took the envelop, examined it, and flashed a knowing smile. "Oh, right! Halloween is coming up." "Uh huh, and we're having our annual party!" Evie slid up to my side. "Heh, yeah. The one night of the year we can actually enjoy," Uma remarked dryly to herself. I didn't say anything, though I got where she was coming from. Meanwhile Evie was still enthralled with it all.

"I'm so excited! We've got so many things planned for this year!" Evie's hands clasped together. "Dancing?" Uma inquired, giving her hips a little shake. "Obviously, and hopefully some food too; if we can swing it," I added. "There'll be games and music and fun!" I couldn't help but smile at Evie's enthusiasm; she really got into the party-planning aspect. "And scares- can't forget gore and horror," Uma's fingers wiggled in a creepy fashion. "Lots of that too," I nodded. Gil, who'd been sitting nearby in the restaurant, saw his opportunity to slip in. We all blinked as he slithered up to my other side. "Don't worry, Mal. I'll protect you from all those nasty ghouls," his arm snaked around my waist, making my eyes roll. "We're the ones planning it, Gil," aka I don't need protection from anything. But he was undeterred, keeping his arm firmly in place. "So Mal, about this party….. I was thinkin'; you wanna maybe go…. with me?" "Uh…..?" My mouth had mere seconds to open.

"You'd better move your arm if you don't want to lose it." All our heads spun to see Harry Hook come in through the back door. He shot Gil a single warning glare which was all he needed. Gil snatched his arm back and shrank away as Harry approached the counter. His elbow rested up on it in a casual manner; the other hand planted on his hip. "And what are you two doing here? Jay and Carlos get bored of you?" "Har har, very funny. No, we're actually delivering Halloween party invitations if you must know," I replied with a tone. "Oh? Is it that time of year again already?" Harry's eyebrow raised up. "Yes! And we're going to have the best party ever," Evie squealed. Harry rolled his eyes, trying to stifle a grin.

"Yeah well, don't bother giving me one of those things. I wouldn't come to your party if it was the last party on earth," he came every year. "Oh, don't worry. I wasn't going to," I didn't have to; he'd come anyway. Our eyes locked as I put the rest of the envelops back into the bag. Harry called my bluff, not asking for an invite. Uma and Evie's eyes shifted between us as they could feel the electricity in the air. Harry scoffed. "Whatever. Who'd want to go to your stupid party anyway?" "Not you, obviously," Evie said like she believed it. Harry and I glued our stares onto each other one last time, letting them linger on each other. Eventually a smirk crept across my lips.

"Come on, Evie. Let's go," my hand motioned for her to follow me. She blinked at me in surprise. "Wait, you're actually not going to give him an invite?" "You heard him- he doesn't want one." "Sure he doesn't," Uma gave Harry's shoulder a playful nudge. Evie hesitated. "Well, alright… But you're still invited anyway, Harry." "Yeah, yeah," Harry waved his hook at us dismissively. Uma chuckled to herself, shook her head, and walked over to us. "Heh, come on, Evie. You can tell me all about these "activities" you have planned," her arm linked with Evie's. Then she glanced back at the now dejected Gil pouting at a nearby round table. "Gil, get your butt over here." "Awe, but Uma, I don't wanna….." "Now, Gil!" Uma only had to raise her voice. Within a blink of an eye, Gil was leaving with the ladies, who were conversing amongst themselves now. That left just Harry and me inside the place…. by ourselves. I didn't even have to turn around to know that, with his hand and hook buried in his pockets, he was already making his way over to me.

Harry's footsteps came up right behind my way. "Don't expect anyone to come to this lame-ass party of yours." "Oh yeah. Last year's attendance is a great prediction of that," I smirked, and I could practically hear Harry's side-smirk from here. "Don't flatter yourself. No one's racing to hang out with you- believe me. Try not to be too heart-broken when I say I told you so the very next day." My grin kept on growing and growing. "Oh? You're gonna come all the way to my house just to tell me that?" "Heh, you wish, girl." "Trust me, Harry. I'm wishing for no such thing."

There was the world's most comfortable pause after this. I heard Harry take another step towards me; he was standing so close now. His eyes gave me a once over, which he took his sweet time with soaking in my essence. "Have you always been so thin? Seriously, you look like a twig." "I could say the same to you, skinny boy. You think those biceps are foolin' anyone?" Harry didn't reply immediately, sucking in a deep, stilling breath. "I really hate you." "Well that works out, because I hate you too," I said. Only then did it feel right to leave; the tension was getting too much for me. Harry didn't move an inch as I began heading for the door. But before I left, I paused to peer back at him; my eyes locking onto his yet again. "I really do hate you, Harry. I don't think I hate anyone as much as you….."

I didn't blink when all of a sudden Harry marched right on over to me. I did blink however, at the sensation of being thrust up against the wall; my back being pressed up into it. It didn't hurt at all, but it was so suddenly that it caught me off guard. When my eyes reopened, I found Harry standing in front of me; he locked me in position by holding his hand and hook against the wall at my sides. Our eyes of course met again, and he wasn't smiling or smirking anymore. Instead he was breathing heavily- so was I. Neither of us said a word. After a long, intense minute, Harry finally shut his eyes. My eyes followed suit. His lips leaned forward, planting a soft kiss square on my forehead.

It was hard to suppress a smile when I left after that.


	2. The Headless Horseman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades tells Mal about the Headless Horseman.

Daddy found me lounging on the couch when he came downstairs. My eyes scrolled over to him, proceeded by a lazy smile. "Hi, Daddy." "Hey, Mally. I thought you were handing out invitations?" He waltzed over to me. "I did- me and Evie just finished up," I gave Kaa's head, who was resting on my lap a scratch. He responded with a yawn and warily opened his eyes. "Huh, what? What now?" The snake asked in a tired tone.

Ah, Kaa- one of the animal friends I had on the island. I had a lot of animal villain friends here actually. For the longest time, villain humans and animals didn't interact with each other. We had our own section on the Isle of the Lost, and they had their own forest on the opposite end. Since I was a child I sometimes wandered into the forest where very few humans lived. Daddy didn't like me going there but I was a curious little girl. Well long story short, this led me to saving Shere Khan's life when Gaston got the notion to go hunting in there. Ever since then, the evil animals have realized they can trust me and even built a bond- well, most of them.

The hyenas- Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed- meanwhile were having a grand old time chomping on some bones they scrounged up somewhere. They were being quite noisy about it too. Daddy frowned at the three unimpressed. "And why are they here? Who let those scavengers in?" "Hey! We wouldn't have to scavenge if there was some decent food in the forest," Banzai shot back. "Or any food," Shenzi tacked on. Kaa let out a wistful sign, visibly relaxing his upper half. "Ah, I miss the days back in the jungle. There was always lots to eat there," he hissed longingly. "Yeah, but you wouldn't be here if you didn't try to eat children," Shenzi teased him. "I'll have you know that man cubs are delicious! It's not my fault they taste sooooooo good," Kaa frowned. My head shook as I gently pushed his lifting head down. "I told you, Kaa; no eating people. Not even here on the island. Don't worry; we'll feed you." "Hmmmmm, it's not the same," Kaa put his head back on my lap, shutting his eyes. "Nugh. I don't ever remember saying my house could become a zoo," Daddy groaned. I grinned at him while petting the now dozing snake's head.

Daddy's board hand rubbed the back of his neck before he finally broke face and mirrored my grin. "So, you excited for your Halloween party this year?" "Always. We've got a lot planned; Evie had so many good ideas." "Mmmmm, sounds like fun," Daddy came to join on me on the other end of the couch. Kaa's long body was stretched along the edge so I didn't have to worry about Daddy sitting on him. I continued petting his head while speaking with my father. It was a very relaxed, laid-back atmosphere.

"What about you? What are you going to do on Halloween night?" I asked Daddy. He looked at me and shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing; nothing to do." "Heh, wish trick-or-treating was a thing here?" "Ha! No. I'll probably just fall to sleep right here on the couch," this was Daddy's favourite place to sleep besides his bed upstairs. And he napped here a lot. I nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. I'll try not to wake you when I get back." That's when I noticed Daddy looking straight at me again; his expression was firmer this time. "Just be home by midnight, alright?"

I blinked in surprise. "Midnight? Why midnight? It's Halloween night- the one night of the year we can actually party for real." "I get that, Mally. But it's just plain old not safe. I'd feel much better if you were back before midnight. This is an actual rule, kiddo." If what he said before surprised me, this definitely did. Daddy never gave me hard, fast "rules"; he never needed to. As such, this peeked my curiosity more than anything. My upper half leaned in a little. "Why? Why midnight and not say, eleven or three AM?"

The look on Daddy's face revealed that he was a little conflicted at the moment. He sucked on his lips, hesitating to say anything for a minute. But soon enough, he let out a defeated sigh and leaned back against his cushion. "Because of the Headless Horseman." "The Headless Horseman? Who's that? I've never heard of him before." "You wouldn't have; he's a free villain." "A free villain?" I repeated perplexed. Daddy nodded. "A free villain: someone who's never been caught or defeated before. Unlike us, the Headless Horseman can come and go wherever he wants; the magical barrier has no effect on him. And it wouldn't anyway, because he's already dead." "He is?" "He's headless, Mal," Daddy chuckled. I cracked a smile but didn't say anything, sensing he had more to say.

Daddy took in a deep breath before continuing. "The Headless Horseman is very dangerous. He's always hunting for heads and won't hesitate to chop yours off should he catch up to you. He also has black magic he can and does use. You don't want to tango with him- trust me." My head bobbed up and down in a comprehensive fashion. Questions began to spring up in my mind. "What does this have to do with Halloween?" I ventured to ask. Daddy's eyes wandered over my way again. "Because that's the one night a year he goes head-hunting. He's has a very specific routine, oddly enough. But Halloween night is his night; he strikes at midnight, chasing down whoever is still out and about."

I considered this for a second, bringing my finger up under my lip. "So, where does he chase people? Does he come into the village or…..?" I didn't have to finish my question. "I think he sticks to the forest," Daddy pondered. "Oh! So then it should be fine if I don't go into the woods," I perked up. But he shot me down fast. "No. I think he stays in the forest, but I can't be one hundred precent sure. Plus he rides his horse so you can't outrun him." "Hmmmm, did you say horse? Horse, as in "horse meat"?" Banzai stopped nibbling his bone to smack his lips hungrily. "It's a dead horse, you moron," Daddy didn't hold back any venom. "How dead we talkin' here?" Banzai obviously didn't put together that you can't kill an already dead horse. Daddy couldn't have rolled his eyes harder and I giggled to myself. Then an exasperated father glanced back at me.

"Look, don't worry about him, sweetie. Just be home by midnight and don't go looking for him, and you'll be fine," he told me. My head nodded obediently. "Ok, Daddy. I won't try to find the Horseman and I'll be home by midnight." "Do you promise? This is really important, Mally," Daddy pressed. I placed my hand over my heart for emphasis. "Cross my heart," my smiled deepened. Only then did he feel at ease on the matter.

Looking back, I wish he never even told me of the Headless Horseman, but he did. And I'm afraid to say that my curiosity was more than a little intrigued. I had no desire to meet the horseman in person, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to learn more about him.


	3. Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal tries to do some research on the Headless Horseman.

I have no idea why an arcade would be the best place on the island to do literary research, but here we are. I sat in the centre of several piles of scattered books- none of which had what I was looking for. The Isle of the Lost didn't have a grand array of books in the first place, and what was available was sparce at best. Nothing on the Headless Horseman.

Freddie's father came to me after some time; he conveniently left me to read on my own. "Everything goin' alright over here, darlin'?" He inquired. I stood up for the first time in hours, brushed myself off, and shook my head. "No, unfortunately. Do you have any more books, Dr. Facilier?" "Afraid not. Sorry, girl. We don't come much in the way of supply on this island," his shoulders shrugged. "That's ok. Thank you though," my heels turned towards the exit. We gave each other a friendly parting wave. "Bye, Dr. Facilier. Thanks again!" "Bye, Mal. Hope you find what you're lookin' for!" He said despite me not say what I was originally seeking. I hadn't told anyone about the horseman yet, electing instead to wait until I knew more myself. But the prospects weren't looking too good. With a heavy sigh I started for home.

"Let's see. Where would someone learn more about the Headless Horseman? It doesn't look like there's any books on him. Hmmmmmm," I pondered out loud to myself. Walking along the town's edge, my forefinger rested underneath my lip. "A villain who other villains are afraid of…. Well, I guess they can kill him; he's already dead. But that brings up the question: what is a headless ghost doing on the Isle of the Lost? If he can go anywhere, why come here? Or maybe he doesn't discriminate against heads, whoever they come off of." By then I was close enough to where we lived, and I paused to glance into the forest right beside me. The cool, crisp autumn wind breezed through the long strands of my hair, brushing it up against my cheeks. And this is the forest he hunts his victims in…..

A loud yawn suddenly broke my train of thought. I blinked caught off guard down to the lion lounging off at the side. He lazily looked at me with those lazy golden eyes of his. "What are you doing here?" "Hi, Scar. Having an afternoon cat nap?" He shot me a glare; I already knew he hated being called a "cat". I chuckled and shook my head gently.

"Where were you last night? Why didn't you come over?" Scar scoffed, rolling his eyes in a "you're such an idiot" way. "I needed a break from those blithering buffoons. Being their leader and king is utterly exhausting," he lamented in a pity-seeking tone. "Didn't they turn on you after Simba returned?" I asked confused. Oh boy, if looks could kill. "They did no such thing! Who told you that?! I do not know where they got that misinformation but that's not what happened." "Uh huh, sure," I inwardly smirked.

Sensing I wasn't buying it, Scar yawned again and turned his head to the side. "So, what are you doing near the woods? Thinking of going in again?" "In the woods….." I repeated sort of absent-mindedly. What he just said struck a chord with me. How much did I actually know about the forest itself? Maybe I'm starting all this in the wrong place. That's when I got an idea. "Hey, Scar? Does anyone actually live in the forest? Beyond the town walls, I mean." He blinked at me somewhat baffled. "Um, yes? Not many but there's a few. That creepy one hag I know for sure." "Creepy old hag?" "Madam Mim," his eyes gave another roll. Madam Mim? My head turned slowly back to the thicket of the trees. I bet she knows more about the happenings in the forest than anyone…..

I finally made my way to the front door of our place. I hadn't really thought about much else since my brief talk with Scar, but that changed when my head went to reach for the door. It paused mid-air as I saw something tied to the handle. Curious, I carefully untied it, realizing it was a small, folded slip of paper. It revealed familiar handwriting inside.

It read: Hey stupid. This is just a reminder how useless you are. Seriously, no one likes you; definitely not me. I have zero faith in everything you do, and there's no way I'd ever be there for you. Who'd come when you call? You don't make me happy at all. And I'm not going to build my world of dreams around you. Believe me.

The most organic, profound smile blossomed across my lips. Yeah, Harry; I'm not going to build my world of dreams around you either- that'll never happen. Never ever ever.

My thumb ran over of the front of the paper a few times, caressing Harry's handwriting. I brought it up to my lips for a kiss when I was satisfied with that. Then, with a quick check to make sure no one was around to see, I opened the top of my shirt and tucked the folded note into my bra, pressing it up against my heart.

Just the perfect place for it I'd say.


	4. Madam Mim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal goes to Madam Mim for information on the Headless Horseman.

(Author's Note: I know how the Headless Horseman lost his head in Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". But since the Disney short movie makes no reference to it, I am going to exclude it from this story too. All that is known about the horseman here comes from the Disney short. Hope you are enjoying thus far!)

The new slip of paper read: Really? You're so pathetic, Harry. Don't kid yourself; nothing about you makes me happy either. You don't make the skies bluer or the edges of clouds crisper for me. And I'm not going to build my world of dreams around you either. There are no words to accurately articulate how much I despise you. Get a clue. Sincerely not yours- Mal.

Satisfied with this, I folded the paper. It was about to go into my pocket until I got an idea. I should perfume this with something- that's what you do with these kinds of notes, don't you? My head glanced around ponderingly. "Hmmmmmm, too bad there's nothing good-smelling on the Isle of the Lost," I thought out loud. It's wasn't a bad note on its own; I just wanted to give it a little more umph. My lips sucked inward for a second as I ran through the options in my mind. While it wasn't my initial thought, the only way I could see this working was… well… Don't judge me for what I was about to do.

With a very swift gaze around to make sure Daddy wouldn't barge on in, I pulled back the front of my shirt. I rubbed the paper over my chest and stomach, hoping my "personal odour" would stick. I'm a woman- men like my natural smell, right? Well, I frankly don't care about all men; just so long as Harry likes it.

I don't think it actually made a difference but I was out of time. Into my pocket the note went and after grabbing my coat, I rushed out the front door. I wanted to get back before dark, just so Daddy wouldn't worry. First thing I did was go straight to the peer; Captain Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger, was docked there, as usual. The plank was down so I was able to go aboard. The deck was devoid of people, save first mate Smee who was currently painting the mast. Happily humming to myself, he failed to notice my arrival moments ago.

I stopped right underneath the mast's bottom. "Good afternoon, Smee," my voice rang up. Smee, who was still unaware of my presence, spun his head around in surprise, then he glanced down. This wide, jolly smile crossed his lips. "Oh! Afternoon, Miss Mal! Lovely weather today, isn't it?!" He waved down at me. "It is! Is Harry here?" "Uh, no. He left with the captain this morning," Smee responded while sliding back down the poll. Once he was on his feet, he brushed himself off and grinned back my way.

"Is there something I can do for you?" "Oh, no; that's fine. I….. Actually, yes. Could you give this to Harry?" Smee watched me pull the folded note from my pocket and hand it over to him. "Of course! Course, my dear! I'll hand it to him the moment he returns!" He stated merrily. This made me smile. What a friendly man; too bad Captain Hook is his boss. "Thanks, Smee. I appreciate it." "Not at all! You two are so cute," his voice hummed a little. I frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about." "Sure you don't," he nudged me. "Well, in any event, I got to get going. Thanks again, Smee." "Not a problem, treasure. But tell me, where are you off to?" "I'm going to see Madam Mim," I answered while walking away. The joy from Smee's face immediately drained; both his hands raised up to his face. "Madam Mim?! Oh no, not her! She's a witch; she's a demon! What could you possibly want to see her for?!" "I'll be fine. Thanks again," I waved on my out, heading straight to the forest.

Despite going into the Haunted Forest several times before, it was always eerie going inside there. It was even creepier now knowing that a headless guy was riding around these trees. Still, today was an average day in the thicket; no ghosts or ghouls this time. Just the standard owl hoots and branch snaps in the distance. Nothing new or unusual for this god-forsaken place.

I knew where Madam Mim's odd-looking house was in here; I'd seen it before as a child. Mind you, I never deliberately came near it. Although I was never explicitly told by Daddy or any other adult not to visit her, I already knew it wasn't a good idea. Madam Mim liked children but for the wrong reasons. She thought it was fun to turn them into mice and toads and other animals. Not that she could do that anymore- I guess that's one good thing to come from living on the island. Still, she was obviously crazy and not someone you'd want to mess with, even if I wasn't so little anymore.

Now was different though. If anyone knew about what went on in this forest, it'd be her. She did live here, after all; from what I knew, she never came into the village. She was my best shot at finding out more about the Headless Horseman. And so, off to her strange house I walked, not meeting anyone or thing along the way.

Madam Mim's place was pretty quiet, all things considered. The only thing I heard were my footsteps going up to her front door. My fist knocked on the wood of the thick door; I had to bang hard to make a considerable noise. That's when an abrupt cackling from the inside make me jump. The door suddenly flung wide open; the strong breeze sending my hair flying everywhere. My eyes winced shut, only to reopen to see this old, crackily, short lady standing there, her beady eyes already locked onto me.

"Well, well, well! What have we here? How lovely! A sweet, little girl, coming to see little old me," her hands clasped together excited. "Um, hello there, Madam Mim. My name is Mal; I'm Hades's daughter," I wasn't really sure what else to say. She laughed with the upmost glee. "Ooooooh, Hades! Big fan! He knew how to deal with his enemies right. I particularly like the Hydra." "Uh, right. Um…. Uh….." How the hell am I supposed to respond to that?! We're only on this goddamn island because my father did what he did. Not that Mim cared. Her laughter filled the room again as she twirled around in her big shoes.

"Of course you know I was the world's most powerful witch back in the day. I was the greatest; truly marvellous. Hades should have been so lucky to have known me. I could have made quick work of that tweb, Hercules; but then, I'm sure he did his best." "Uh…..?" "Oh, oh, girl! No need to be shy! I may not have my magic anymore, but I still have my spunk! Let me tell you!" "Well, I um….." I began until she interrupted me again. She let out a sigh, resting the back of her hand against her forehead. "Ah, what a shame; a tragedy really. It's cruel what they've done to us! They had no right to take my magic away! Why, if I ever get my hands on them….." She made a strangling motion. I just stood there blinking. What is happening?

For the first time since we met, Madam Mim finally read my seemingly perplexed facial expression. She looked at me and grinned again. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry; I'm blathering on. To what do I owe the pleasure, my girl?" "Oh…. Oh! Um, uh yes! Can you tell me anything about the Headless Horseman?"

The eager grin on Madam Mim's lips melted. "The Headless Horseman?" She eventually repeated. I nodded. "Now where did you hear about him?" The old witch inquired. My mouth opened to answer but she waved her hand at me. "Bah, never mind. Its good you kids know about him anyway. The Headless Horseman is a rider who's always looking for his next head to chop." "How did he lose his head?" I asked. "No one knows, but he's mighty mad it's gone. Now every Halloween night he rides around, searching- always searching." "In the forest?" "That's right, and mind you, beware. He rides alone."

I considered this for a moment. "Where'd he come from." "Who knows. Can't ask a headless man questions, my girl." "Yeah, I figured. So…. Is there a way to beat him? I mean other than killing him- I know he's already dead." Madam Mim looked at me, letting a pregnant pause set in. Soon enough however, this knowing smile came back to her thin pale lips. "The forest is his domain. If you should see him, don't stop for a second look. Just make for the bridge which spans the brook. For once you cross that bridge, the ghost is through- his power ends." My head nodded again. "Cross the bridge. Got it!" But Madam Mim still had this cunning twinkle in the corner of her eye; it was obvious she knew more than she was saying. She flashed me one last toothy grin. "Make sure you mind of what I've said, my girl.

It's been a long time since he's added a child's head to his collection."


	5. A Bouquet of Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry pays Mal a visit.

Daddy was out doing something. He told me what before but to be honest, I'd forgotten. All I knew was that he was out for a while. Fine by me- just more time to prep for the party tomorrow night. I was in the middle of making decorations from whatever I could find, which wasn't much considering that the island didn't have much in the way of colourful party supplies. What it did have an abundance of though was black, dark, and creepy-looking things. Perfect for Halloween décor. My hand reached for another strip of black construction paper to make a link for my paper chain when a knock on the door caught me by surprise.

Curious I got up to see who it might be. Imagine my surprise when I open it to find none other than Harry on the other side. My eyes immediately lit up. Oh my god, yay! He stood there with a slant; his hook resting on his hip in a casual manner. My body followed suit and tried to seem as relaxed and nonchalant as possible. I frowned at him, gluing my gaze onto his.

"What are you doing here?" "Some loser left these fake roses on your doorstep," Harry proceeded to hold up a bouquet of paper roses; we didn't have real flowers here. My heart skipped a beat as I took them. "They're beautiful! So sweet! Looks like he really worked hard on them," I admired my foe flowers with all my heart. Harry merely gave a dismissive shrug. "Nah. I bet he just found them somewhere," he didn't look me in the eye while saying this; his head spun to the side. Now smiling- without realizing I was- I held the bouquet with both hands down in front of me. Harry waited a second before saying anything else, letting this comfortable pause fall over us.

"So, you still having that idiotic party of yours tomorrow night?" "Uh huh. Same time, same place as usual," I remarked. "Hey, no need to tell me that," Harry gently shot back. My head nodded. "Oh, that's right. You're not coming." "Damn straight. As if you could host a decent party anyway." "Well you won't be missed- not at all." "Oh really?" Harry eyebrow cocked in my direction. I nodded merrily again. "Yep! Not at bit, and definitely not by me. I could care less if you come or not, though I'd prefer if you didn't." This beautiful man chuckled to himself. "You sure make it easy to hate you, girl." "Doesn't that sound familiar?" I fired back with the upmost gentleness.

Harry's eyes locked onto me once more, fixed as cement. His lips morphed back into a thin, bleak line; mine did the same. "Seriously, there's nothing to like about you- not one single thing. I can't name one trait about you I find remotely tolerable. It's no wonder you don't have any friends. They're probably like me, who can literally spend an entire day thinking about you from the moment they wake til the time they fall asleep, and still can't find a single, solitary reason to like you. I personally have none; there's no way you ease my mind….. there're no reasons for me to find you. I bet you actually piss everyone off even, since they're too busy thinking about you to get any work done properly. That's how truly annoying you are, babe."

I could only gawk at Harry for what felt like forever. After a second of quiet had passed by, he reached up his hand to rub the back of his neck. It was rapidly replaced by my hand. I grabbed Harry tenderly by the neck, bringing his head down forward. His eyes widened while mine shut. He had a look of surprise as I pressed my lips into his skin, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then, after a glorious second, I pulled back to genuinely smile at him. Our eyes set upon each other's yet again. "That's thanks for the roses; be sure to pass that onto the loser for me, will you?" And Harry smiled- oh how he smiled.

"Heh, maybe it's a good thing I came instead of him."


	6. Thus Halloween Night Had Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal and Evie go to setup for their annual Halloween party.

I was laying on the couch, twirling a paper rose in my hand; my hair was all tossed around me. The biggest smile resting on my moist lips as I admired my flower. I couldn't help but wonder how I got to be so lucky. How did we find each other? How is it possible to be so happy in such a dismal place?

I didn't move an inch when Daddy's big footsteps stomped down the staircase. He was in the middle of putting on his jacket and glanced over at me. "Ok, I'm off to get some grub." "Alright, Daddy," my grin didn't sway. "Then I'll come back and probably pass out on the couch." "You're usual Halloween tradition," I added. He gave me one of those serious paternal looks.

"Remember your promise," Daddy's finger stuck out my way. "Yes, yes; I'll be home by midnight. Don't worry," my eyes rolled in a cute fashion. "Good. I don't want to wake up to a headless daughter," he joked but I could detect some nervousness peppered in his tone. But he seemed satisfied enough by this conversation. I shut my eyes happily as my father came over to kiss my forehead. "Have a fun party, baby girl." "I will, thanks Daddy. You have a good night too." "Oh, you know I will," he said before making his exit. It wasn't long after he'd left until a knock at the front door finally made me get up. Evie was here and her arms were chalked full of party supplies.

She flashed me a beaming smile. "Ready to party, Mal?!" "I sure am. Are Jay and Carlos on their way?" I asked while grabbing my own stuff for the party- just homemade decorations and what not. Uma's mom graciously supplied us with food for tonight, which was surprising since sustenance was hard to come by on the island. With that, we had everything we needed for the night.

"They said they'll meet us there," Evie replied. I nodded. "Alright, looks like we got everything. Keep an eye on the place will you, guys?" My head turned to the currently three snoozing hyenas; Kaa decided to spend the night back in the forest so it was just them here. Ed was the only one to lazily open his eyes and lift his head up wearily. He blinked at me like he was asking for me to repeat my instructions. Evie chuckled to herself; she was always a big fan of animals too. "Watch the house, Ed. Make sure no ghosts or ghouls get inside, alright?" The hyena simply nodded his head eagerly before falling right back to sleep. I rolled my eyes and Evie laughed. Then we made our way out the front door and down towards the old warehouse where we held our Halloween party every year.


	7. The Halloween Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal and Evie host their annual Halloween party.

And so the Halloween party got underway. Jay and Carlos met up with us early on to help set up. I didn't mention the Headless Horseman or my curfew; couldn't really explain one without the other. But that was no big deal. Soon enough everyone else arrived and after gorging ourselves, we decided to dive on into the night's events.

There wasn't really much we could do what with our lack of supplies. But Uma and the others pulled through and got us some music. We bobbed for parsnips- because we don't have apples on the island- and played a whack of other games. When we grew bored of that, as we enviably would, we gave dancing a try. Since none of us knew how to properly dance, it was more free style. More than halfway through though it got…. more steamy.

It started when people began coupling off. Now Harry and I had remained pretty close to each other all evening thus far. He teased me when I failed to nab a parsnip and I mocked his lousy dance moves. Secretly though, I'd been waiting for this moment, and my suspicions that Harry had too were confirmed when he slid up beside me. I glared at him through the corner of my eye, trying not to act too predictable. He sneered, planting both his hands on his hips in a defiant fashion.

"I know what you're thinking and you can forget it. There's no way I'm dancing with some scrawny wimp like you. Besides, I'm not the dancing type," says the guy who dances with me every single year without fail. Well, alrightly then; if that's the way he wants to play. I felt a bit like a brat, smirking inwardly. "Well, isn't that perfect? Cause I don't see anyone asking you." Harry tisked and I grinned. This was fun, and only made more fun when Gil came over to me. "Oh, you two aren't gonna dance? Then… wanna give it a shot with me, Mal?" Gil half-blushed at the last part of his question. Before I had time to reply, Harry suddenly grabbed my hand and waist. He didn't look me straight in the eye as the two of us began to sway together on the dance floor. "Ok, fine; if you insist," he groaned. "I don't recall asking you to dance, Harry," I retorted. And that's when his gaze met mine. A grin rolled across his lips and mine followed suit. His hand tightened his grip on my hand, curling his fingers tenderly around my palm. Shutting my eyes, I leaned my head in to rest on his broad chest. Harry held me close, and we stayed like that, not making a single sound for I don't know how long.

I think it was around ten o'clock when the dancing finally subsisted. We were all danced-out and just wanted to lounge around. Harry hadn't let go of my hand since he took it the first time. By then we were all sitting on straw benches and sandbags; I sat in Harry's lap the entire time. Everyone had enough common sense not to draw attention to it, lest they suffer Harry's wrath. Harry sat with one arm around my waist and the other propping up his lazy head. To kill time since we didn't want the party to be over yet we decided to tell ghost stories.

"And that's when they found his hook on the side of the car. And he was never seen again." I said we told ghost stories; I never said they were good stories. Jay and Uma yawned while Carlos and Freddy rolled their eyes. "Man, what a boring story," Uma remarked. "It's supposed to be scary, Gil," Harry tacked on. "What?! I thought it was scary!" Gil promptly defended himself. "Yeah, if you're five," Jay rolled his eyes. "You think you can do any better?" Gil shot back. "My grandmother could do better," Carlos chuckled. Evie simply rolled her eyes.

"Alright, enough guys. Who else has a story? Preferably scary, this time," I smiled at her subtle jab at Gil's poor story-telling skills. When no one volunteered, I thought to myself for a moment. Well technically the Headless Horseman is a real guy- er, ghost. Why not? It is Halloween night- his night- after all. I raised my hand up like a school child.

"I have one." "You do, Mal?" Jay sounded surprised. I nodded before continuing. "He's called the Headless Horseman." "What?" "Who's he?" "Never heard of him before." Harry gave everyone a look which told them to shut up, and once they did I went on. "The Headless Horseman is a headless rider who haunts well…. everywhere, I guess. But he only comes out on Halloween night, and he supposedly stays in the forest where he hunts his victims." "Victims?" Evie gulped. I nodded. "He apparently wants a head- I think to replace his own. So anyone he catches out in the forest on Halloween night he'll swipe the head off of. If he gets you, that's it, cause I've been told: you can't reason with a headless man."

No one said anything for a minute. Then Freddie blinked at me. "A head? He wants a head?" "Uh huh." Another moment of silence passed. "I thought we said tell us a scary story, Mal. What's with you guys and being bad at horror?" Uma threw her arms up. "But it is scary! Mostly because it's true." "Get out. There's no such thing as a Headless Horseman," Jay's eyes rolled. "There kinda is," I countered. "Yeah right. Who told you that?" "Um, lots of people? My father, Madam Mim…." "Madam Mim? Ha! You can't trust that old bat. She's off her rocker," Dizzy exclaimed. "So let me get this straight? Your old man told you that there's some headless dude riding around the woods, lopping people's heads off for… some reason," Uma reiterated everything I'd just said. "Yeah, that kinda sums it up," I agreed. She and Gil looked at each other incredulously. "Well…. how do you defeat him? He's already dead, isn't he?" Gil then inquired. "Uh, Madam Mim said something about crossing a bridge? That ends his power or something?" "A bridge?" Evie's eyebrow raised. "Yeah; don't ask me why it works. She didn't tell me." Gil thought for a minute. "But… there aren't any bridges on the island." "Oh…. Well then I guess you're whooped," I shrugged. Yeah, I kinda forgot that little fact.

All whole while, Harry had been unusually quiet. He looked pondering, almost contemplative; like he was thoroughly digesting what I'd said. Then, out of the blue, he smiled; a clever, playful, boyish smile. He guided me off his lap as he stood up. "I think I kinda wanna see him," he announced to everyone.

My heart immediately dropped as I gawked at him in sudden horror. All the other boys glanced at each other before mirroring Harry's mischievous grin. "Yeah, I kinda want to too." "Me too. I'd never seen a headless guy before." "We should go! It is Halloween night- we won't have this chance for another year. He's in the forest, right?" Jay asked me. The colour drained from my face and my head shot in Harry's direction.

"Harry, don't do this. It's dangerous. He's a real person- er, ghost- don't forget! You don't want to mess with him," I began to plead. Harry merely smiled, taking my hand in his. "Don't worry. We won't try and "fight" him; I just wanna take a look. We'll be back before sunrise. Come on, guys," he then motioned to the rest of the boys. They all started to follow Harry towards the door and that's when my nerves broke. I began walking too. "Fine. Then I'll come along," I sighed to myself in defeat.

Harry's feet instantly screeched to a halt and his spun around so fast, it'd make your head spin. He took me firmly by the shoulders, making me come to a stop as well. His stared locked onto mine. "I don't think so. We're going; you stay here." "Wha-…..?" My jaw dangled open. Even the others gasped in surprise and astonishment. For Harry to talk to me so blatantly; it was shocking, even for them. But my resolve stayed solid, at least for now. I frowned.

"No, I'm going with you." "No, you're not. You're going to stay here where it's nice and safe. I'll see you in the morning," he tried to sound reasonable and reassuring. I yanked myself out of his grip; my hands balled into fists. "Excuse me, but I don't remember asking for your permission. You're not the boss of me, Harry." "Tonight I am: stay here. Come on, boys," turning back around he motioned the others to follow him. Of course I frowned unimpressed. I mean I know why he was doing this, but still! "You can't protect me from everything!" I let myself blurt out. And Harry looked back to flash me a devilish, adoring smirk.

"Watch me."


	8. The Headless Horseman Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal goes into the woods to look for the VK boys.

I paced the floor with my hands clasped behind my back the whole hour. While the boys left in excitement, the party literally died the moment they were gone. None of the girls left either if only to stay behind for my sake. Evie and Uma anxiously watched me pace all around the room, not saying a word and mulling to myself. By midnight, my nerves were cracking. And yes, I completely forgot about my promise to Daddy; that wasn't even on my radar at the moment.

"Too long….. They've been gone too long," I heard my voice for the first time in the hour. Everyone peered over at me. "There really is a Headless Horseman, isn't there Mal?" Evie's tone was peppered with worry. Hearing her say his name out loud set me over the edge. All their eyes grew as I suddenly turned around and headed for the warehouse door.

"Mal, wait!" Uma made a mad dash to catch hold of my arm. "Something's wrong. They should've been back by now," I exclaimed. "You shouldn't go looking for them. What if something happens to you too?" "I have to go. They might need me," I stayed resolute. Uma's grip on my arm tightened. "You seriously can't go in that forest alone." I locked eyes with her- mine glistening with sincerity. "I have to. My future husband's life may be on the line," and with that I tore my arm away from her and ran out the door and down the street.

I wasn't really scared, though I'm not sure if that was the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I reached the entrance to the forest within five minutes and man, was it uninviting. I'd been in it several times before but never this late at night. My feet stalled at the front end as I listened for any noise coming from inside. Nothing. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. With a deep, deep inhale, I forced myself to step through the dark threshold. It was even creepier inside, which wasn't surprising at all.

"Well, no sign of a Headless Horseman yet," I spoke aloud to break the eerie silence. Toads cricketing and owls hooting only made things worse; I soon missed the imposing stillness. The further in I got, the more sounds permeated the air in between the trees. The howling wind, the sound of branches hitting tree trunks, and crows crackling. Every small scary detail became more potent to me. Lots of noise but no sounds of the boys or the horseman yet. Just how far did they go into the woods?

I climbed through this patch of trees; any semblance of a path had disappeared some ways back. Through the thicket I went, and when I came through the other side, I immediately spotted a considerable figure laying some ways in the distance. It clearly wasn't human- including a headless one- but I couldn't make out what it was. Or at least it started to move, acting as if I accidently woke it up. My heart skipped a beat and instantly calmed down a bit when it approached where I was standing.

"Oh, Shere Khan- thank goodness, it's you." "Well, Mal. This is a surprise," the regal tiger greeted me in that sophisticated tone of his. "Sorry; I didn't mean to wake you up just there." "Think nothing of it. But tell me, dear child; what could you possibly be doing out in the woods at this time of night? Not running away from home, I hope." "I'm looking for someone. You haven't seen any of the VK boys tonight, have you?" "Mmmmm, you're the first human I've seen. Why? What are they doing out here?" "They're uh, looking for the Headless Horseman," I replied meekly, embarrassed on their behalf. Shere Khan looked taken aback. "The Headless Horseman? Why would they do that?" "They're boys and they're stupid and they may need my help. I need to find them before the horse guy does." The tiger watched me for a second before yawning and stretching. Then he came up beside me.

"And you think you're going to find them alone by yourself?" Shere Khan grinned. "Well, now that I've found you….." I also smiled. The tiger turned his back to me, glancing at me from over his shoulder. "Hop on." He didn't need to tell me twice. I can't believe this is the same cat who tried to kill Mowgli; but he had every right to fear man's gun and fire if you ask me. He was almost shot by Gaston, for crying out loud. Shere Khan wasn't bad; just misunderstood.

I hopped on top of his back and we took off like a shot. Shere Khan's fur was a lot coarser than I'm imagined, like really rough hair. But he could run really fast. It made me wonder if a tiger could outrun a horse- even a dead horse. Something which might be useful to know later.

He ran off and on again, pausing every so often to sniff the air. Then he'd take off again. About ten minutes later, after repeating the pattern several times, we wound up in this open patch clear of trees. It was small but big enough to be distinct. Shere Khan stopped at the entrance to the clearing and I scanned the interior. My heart leapt to my throat in joy at the sight of all the boys on the opposite side- safe and more importantly, alive. All of them. Unlike me who had been freaked out of my wits, they were laughing and bolstering and looking like they were having a grand old time. Shere Khan didn't say anything as I jumped off his back and scrambled my way over to them. Boy, did they looked shocked to see me there; Harry and Jay were in the middle of playfully shoving each other's shoulders when all heads suddenly turned in my direction. All their smiles instantly faded.

"Mal?!" Harry's eyes were huge. "Thank god! You're all alright! Come on; we need to get out here now!" I ran up to stand in front of Harry, holding my arms out imploringly to all of them. My beloved's expression went from shocked, to confused, to enraged in a matter of seconds. I'd never seen him so angry before. "I told you to stay put!"

That was all he had time to say. All of us froze at the sudden and horrific echo of the most insidious laugher filling up the clearing. Our heads dashed to the side to find the terrifying sight of this headless rider at the other end. His ghostly black horse bucked and his long deep crimson cape swayed out behind him. The man wore a full black suit, covering him from finger to toe. In one hand was a long sharp sword and in the other a flaming pumpkin. Harry's first instinct was to grab me and pull me into his arms, which mine immediately wrapped around him. We all stared with the widest, more terrified of eyes at the mind-numbingly frightening figure in front of us.

The Headless Horseman!


	9. The Headless Horseman Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shere Khan takes Mal out of danger only to run into some new allies.

(Author's Note: I never took the monkey's in 1967's The Jungle Book to be villains. However that's the way they are portrayed in both the book and live-action version of the Jungle Book. So for this story, I included them in the Isle of the Lost (but I am still of the opinion that they are not real villains; more so confused party animals).)

The headless rider wouldn't stop laughing, which didn't make sense considering he didn't have a head. Nevertheless, a sudden and inexplicable panic set in the scene. Screaming and shouting abounded. "Run!" Jay shrilled at the top of his lungs to everyone. Harry didn't let go of my hand; once he took it, he clamped on. We all began running in the opposite direction as fast as possible, foolishly thinking we could outrun a dead horse. But that didn't stop us from trying. Our feet clambered for the other side of the woods, racing to get into the shelter of the trees. Unfortunately it was dark out and we couldn't see where we were running too well.

Our speed resulted me in tripping over a large root sticking out of the grass. It was so sudden and forceful that Harry's hand and mine were torn apart. His feet froze to a stop a couple of steps in front of me. He spun around with a terrified look on his face. "Mal!" He cried. There was no time for him to run back for me; Mr. Headless got there first. His horse bucked up again and, still laughing maniacally, his sword rose high up into the air. All I could think to do was cover my head with both arms.

But I didn't die. Instead, much to everyone's surprise, Shere Khan managed to swoop on in there like a shot. He caught me within a second's notice and the moment I was on his back he took off to the place where the Headless Horseman first appeared. It all happened so fast that no one knew what was going on, or at least not until I was a safe distance away from the horseman's blade. Shere Khan stopped a moment so we could survey the situation. Moments later from turning in the direction we'd disappeared, the headless guy's attention returned back to the boys. Harry began to scramble to re-join the others in the thicket, with the Headless Horseman quick on his tail. "Harry!" I shrieked in a whisper to myself. That's when I got another idea. Admittedly, it was stupid on my part but such was my determination to save Harry's life. I took the opportunity while Shere Khan was stationary to holler at the horseman as loudly as I could. "Hey, Headless! Why go after boys' heads when you can have a girl's head?!"

Well, that did it. The ghostly rider immediately halted and turned his scary horse right around. Shere Khan's back gave a little alarmed shiver. "Oh well done. Capital job," he scolded me viciously. But thankfully he didn't throw me off and make a run for it. He merely ran inside the forest, weaving as fast as possible through the tree trunks. I clung onto him for what felt like dear life, he was going that fast.

For the first few minutes- though it may have been much shorter- the Headless Horseman followed us; his laughter echoing through the pitch-black woods. I'm not sure when it died down but the tiger didn't stop until we were miles away from the clearing. His paws only slowed down when we were very far in. He panted a few times and I checked behind us. Not only was the horseman nowhere to be seen but it was suddenly quiet again. Despite putting my nerves at rest, I only got more afraid. "Where'd he go?" I asked no one in particular. Shere Khan didn't bother answering.

"Get off," he ordered. I obeyed and to my surprise, he started urging me up a tree. "What are you doing?" I asked. "You need to get up there." "What?" "Last I checked, horses don't climb trees." "Can tigers?" I inquired genuinely confused. "Of course we can climb trees- easily so! We just seldom do so, but tonight, it is warranted. Up you go," careful with his claws, Shere Khan pushed me up above him since I couldn't climb trees. Once I was able to grab onto a branch, he joined me. He only let his breath go when he was sure it wouldn't snap under both our weights. I was relieved to be up somewhere high but still incredibly fearful of what the Headless Horseman might do.

"What do we do now?" I asked the tiger, out of ideas myself. "What do we do? We're going to stay up in this tree until sunrise," Shere Khan gasped incredulously. "What?! I can't do that! The Headless Horseman is still out there!" "And you do propose to do about it? He's dead, Mal," he huffed. "I know, but we have to do something! He's still out there!" My arms threw up into the air.

A gaggle of laughter all around caught us both off guard. I blinked to see a sea of monkeys coming down from the branches, with their fun-loving leader landing on our specific branch. He laughed heartedly and looked at me. "Well, well, well, what have we here? It's the purple lady's girl," King Louis smiled. "Oh, good grief; just what we need," Shere Khan groaned, shaking his head. "What brings you to our neck of the woods, little girl?" Ignoring the tiger's comment, the orangutan kept his attention on me. I saw another chance present itself to me- the monkeys didn't seem afraid of well, anyone.

"Louis, I have to find the Headless Horseman! Can you help me?" "Who?" He asked, playing with his position with his very flexible limbs. "The Headless Horseman! The ghost that haunts this forest on Halloween night." "Ooooooh….. Never heard of him," the monkey king shrugged nonchalantly. "I need your help! Please, Louis- my friends are in danger!" I continued to beg. "What kind of danger? How dangerous can someone without a head be?" He stuck one of his toes into his ears. Oh my god; this was getting nowhere fast. My only hope was to turn to Shere Khan for sympathy- I did save his life before, after all. My hands clasped together in a desperate fashion.

"Please, I'm begging you, Shere Khan; I won't reach them in time alone. I need your help, please." "But there's no way to defeat him, Mal. You know that," his eyebrow raised. "There has to be something! There…. Wait," I thought for a hot minute. My lips parted in realization. "A bridge… We need to find a bridge! That'll stop the Headless Horseman!" "And where is there a bridge in the Isle of the Lost?" He questioned me. "There isn't….." I admitted in defeat. "There's no bridge in town?" King Louis asked in a detached way. "No…" My eyes lowered. "Mmmmmm, then why not make one?" He added, again casually. I then looked at him like he was the smartest animal I'd ever seen. "Make a bridge… We need to make a bridge!" I suddenly stood up on the branch.

"Out of what? It takes time and supplies to make any sort of bridge, Mal," Shere Khan remarked. "Maybe we don't need to make one. Maybe we need just need to find one." "Where? As you said so yourself, there are no bridges." I thought for a moment, resting my finger under my chin in a considerate manner. "Find a bridge, find a bridge….. What is a bridge? It's connects two things and it's made out of stone or wood or…" My mouth shot open as my eyes grew large. It felt like a title wave had instantly hit me. Wood…. Why make a bridge when we can use a plank?

I grabbed the closest monkey to me. He got as stiff as stone in my grip, ogling me with shocked and alarmed stare. "Go to town and take the plank off Captain Hook's ship! Put it over an area at the entrance of the forest!" I commanded in a frantic voice. "A plank? You honestly think that will work?" Shere Khan's eyebrow raised a second time. "It's all I can think of!" I fired back. Now all I have to do is lure the horseman to the town. And to do that, I need to find him again.

"Shere Khan….." I didn't have to finish my query. He rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you expect me to jeopardize my life for a bunch of no-account boys." "Please…. Please." He eyed me for a second until King Louis put his hand on my shoulder. "Oooooh, I don't wanna miss this. Come on, girl; let's party!"


	10. The Headless Horseman Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal finds a way to beat the Headless Horseman with some help.

I was riding on a very upset and reluctant tiger's back with a gaggle of monkeys following close behind high up in the trees. It wasn't much of an army but better than nothing. We reached the clearing in a few minutes, only to come to the horrific realization that no one was there anymore. Since the horseman or his horse didn't have a scent- being dead and all- we trailed the boys' scent instead. This brought us to the outer rim of the forest but not right back to the town. I saw with equal horror Mr. Headless chasing them around like ants; the boys were scrambling in different directions for their part. It hit me that there wasn't enough time to usher everyone out of this god-forsaken place, so that left the option of confronting the Headless Horseman head on. Ignore the pun; this is no time for humour!

The Headless Horseman, for his part, utterly ignored me, preferring to chase the boys around while laughing manically. Or at least this was the case until Shere Khan began running alongside him. I don't know if Harry saw what happened next and I hoped he didn't because well…. With nothing on hand and the inability to turn into a dragon here, my only chance was to get the sword out of his hand. Maybe this wouldn't make him any less deadly without it; I would bet he could strangle me with one hand. But all of his slicing motions were head-choppy; it was clear he had a goal and that was to cut off heads. So no sword equally no slicing off anyone's head. At least that'd be a start. Getting the sword, however….

It took all my courage and then some to force myself to get up off Shere Khan's back. While the tiger was nearly neck-in-neck with the dead horse, I took the opportunity to jump off one animal, only to climb onto another. I didn't really think about what I was doing at the time; I'm pretty sure I would have been paralyzed with fear if I did. No, my brain shut off as I felt the dead horse's black pelt. Man, it's a miracle the rider could stay on this beast with the way it was galloping. I almost fell off the moment I touched it's skin- almost.

I should have died…. I should have died right there and then, but I didn't, somehow. From the minute I was on the back of his horse, the headless villain spun around, finally addressing me since our second arrival. Admittedly, I didn't have a plan beyond get on the horse and steal the sword…. again, somehow. But it suddenly dawned on me how stupid this was the moment his headless body turned my way. Still, there was no going back now. I clung onto his long flowing deep red cape now, which actually saved me from falling down.

Now I didn't want to touch him; I really, really didn't want to touch him. But just then, with him raising his arm back to take a swipe at my head, I didn't see another choice. To avoid the business end of his blade I flung myself forward, clashing chest-first into his back. Both my arms went instinctively around his slender waist. I was clinging onto him before I knew what I was doing.

The first thought through my head was cold- this guy was ice cold! That shouldn't surprise me, since he is dead and all. I don't know why I thought he might be hot or at least normal human temperature. But he wasn't, and his body heat- or lack their off- caught me off guard; not enough to let go of him though. I couldn't tell if my little stunt enraged or amused him.

Either way, the Headless Horseman was having none of it. With minimal force, using his free hand he pried me off of him. He held me up behind him by the back of the shirt with one hand and raised his blade with the other. I reached for the handle of his sword but his arm was too long.

His horse reached a particularly low part of the trees, but that didn't stop the rider. He drew back his sword and I winced my eyes shut, truly believing that I was about to lose my head. That's when two sets of hairy hands reached down from the upper branches to grab hold of each one of my forearms. The Headless Horseman must have been surprised because I was instantly yanked up from his horse into the safety of the trees. Two monkeys, still holding onto my arms, greeted me with a smile.

"Phew, that was close," one said. "We need to lure him to the town!" I shrieked, grabbed the monkey by the shoulders. "You want him to follow you? We'll make him follow you," King Louis, who had just reached us, laughed. Without warning, I was plucked up again, only to find myself being tossed and thrown high along the treetops. It happened so fast that I couldn't mentally comprehend what was happening to me. I'm sure I would have been motion-sick too if I wasn't so generally scared of the situation.

Despite the severity and terror, these party animal monkeys were having the time of their lives. They thought it was one big game, and I was tool they could use. "There!" King Louis pointed down to the rapidly moving horseman. "We gotta get his attention," one pondered out loud. Then they looked at me with clever grins. I guess they assumed that he would chase after me this time. And what do you know? They were right. Two of them lowered me by the wrists down from the treetops to the exposure of the Headless Horseman, deliberately using my body to block his path going forward. "Here she is. Come and get her!"

Oh boy, that did it. While I began to scream for dear life, the monkeys continued to move while dangling me down below like a worm on a hook. They were able to do this by one monkey holding another by the tail- always the one handling me. But hey, their planned worked. The horseman took the literal "bait", chasing us through the woods in the quickest way possible. It was no surprise that soon enough we were nearing the edge of the forest.

Waiting at the edge were- to my dismay- the boys whom I was trying to save. Harry was standing closest to the forest's entrance, desperately staring into the dark and calling my name. All of their eyes grew, however, at the sight of monkeys tossing me around like a sack of flour and Mr. Headless right behind me. "Here you go," the monkey now holding me gave a throw right at Harry. His arms automatically spread out as I went flying through the air, crash landing straight into Harry's body. We both tumbled to the ground, with me landing first on top of him and then falling beside him. It was a painful experience but there wasn't any time for that to register. We looked up to see the Headless Horseman making a mad dash towards us.

Harry and I didn't hesitate to scramble to our feet. Harry grabbed hold of my hand and everyone began running into town. "Come on, come on, come on!" I hoped for dear life that the monkey came through and moved Captain Hook's plank. I can't describe how high my heart jumped when I spotted not only the girls but a wooden board on the ground. Oh, thank god! I don't know if it would work but there was no harm in trying. "Run across the bridge! The bridge!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

It took the boys less than five seconds to figure out what was going on. The girls made sure to stand a safe distance, watching the horseman with absolute terror, as we all raced to the plank. Carlos was the first across, followed by Jay, then Gil. Still holding onto my hand, Harry let me run in front of him, going across the makeshift bridge first; he was the last to cross.

I wasn't really sure what would happen once we crossed but the first thing I noted was that the Headless Horseman stopped his horse. For the first time tonight, he actually stopped riding! But more worrisome, he didn't leave or go back into the forest. His horse bucked up and he somehow got his flaming pumpkin back; don't ask me where it came from, he's a ghost. "Look out!" Jay cried, pointing to him alarmed. With one last long laugh, this creep literally threw the pumpkin at us. "Get down!" Harry tackled me to the ground; the others immediately followed. Harry covered the back of my head with his hand once he protectively landed overtop of me. None of us looked, all too afraid to see if the horseman would come after us.

But the laughter stopped. The night air was suddenly still and cool. Our heads peered up cautiously and there was no sight of the Headless Horseman or his horse. He just…. vanished into thin air; I don't know any other way to describe it. He was gone, just like that.

When it was clear he had left and wouldn't be coming back, all of our bodies became visibly less tense, but we still didn't get up. Instead Harry and the other boys broke out into a laughing fit of their own, just thrilled that we all actually survived that horrific ordeal. Harry wrapped both arms tightly around me, pressing me up close into his chest. I did the same, holding him just as close- it felt so good to have him in my arms once again. I think we would have stayed like this if another, possibly even more terrifying sight beheld us.

Our parents.

Our very worried parents. Our very worried and angry parents. The girls all nervously watched them march over to where we were laying, promptly towering over us. Daddy stood right in front of me particularly, with his hands firmly planted on his hips. He did not look happy- not at all. In that frightening instance, I could only but grin sheepishly. "Uh, hi Daddy." He gave me a death glare for a moment before chuckling sternly; his head gave a couple of low shakes.

"Oh Mal. You are so grounded."

The End.


	11. Thanks For Reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)

Hey everyone!

I just want to thank all my lovely readers. This was a lot of fun to write and I hope to read. Thank you for all your comments and support; I appreciate it.

If you want more Descendants stories, please let me know! I love getting suggestions.

Have a good day! Thanks again for reading.

Very best,

PonderRose


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